Who built the ark in the Old Testament?

According to the Old Testament, Noah built the ark.

The story appears in Genesis chapters 6–9. After seeing widespread violence and corruption, God tells Noah to construct a huge vessel and preserve his family and representatives of the animal world from the coming Flood. Noah follows the instructions, brings aboard his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and survives the catastrophe when the waters cover the land.

The story is sometimes simplified as “two of every animal.” Genesis distinguishes between clean and unclean animals: the numbers are not presented identically in every passage or translation. That detail is one reason retellings and children’s versions can differ from the biblical wording.

After the waters recede, the ark comes to rest in the mountains of Ararat. God then makes a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood and giving the rainbow as its sign. The narrative also has parallels with older Mesopotamian flood traditions, especially the story of Utnapishtim in the Epic of Gilgamesh.